In the past, providing these sleeping accommodations whether to additional guests or on outdoor camping excursions has meant having an additional bed on hand or accommodating visitors on uncomfortable sofa beds, sleeping bags, cots, air mattresses or a combination of these. When camping, persons often use these same cots or air mattresses to prevent themselves from having to lie on the ground in a conventional sleeping bag. These options have the disadvantage of being uncomfortable when used for long periods of time or by persons who are not physically fit or have problems with stiffness when exposed to changes in temperature. Moreover, additional seating in camping situations has meant that separate pieces of furniture for bedding and for seating have to be carried to the campsite and stowed.
The concept of portable furniture, particularly portable beds and chairs, is known in the industry. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,203, White teaches the use of four substantially parallelepiped cushions, disposed end-to-end to create a mattress. The mattress is convertible to a sort of chaise by the attachment of straps to orient one of the cushions to provide back support. The entire unit is foldable and can by held together with straps for storage.
The addition of a tote bag is also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,906 to Little describes a multi-purpose utility tote. The tote can be used for storage when closed or opened to provide a t-shaped pad suitable for changing a baby's diaper. Legrendre in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,625 also describes a multiple part, multipurpose bag that can be converted into a rudimentary chair or mattress.